The Men's Individual Road Race of the 2008 UCI Road World Championships cycling event took place on September 28 in Varese, Italy. The course comprised 15 laps around 17.35-kilometre route, making a total distance of 260.25 km. Each lap featured two ascents: the first at Via Montello (6.5% gradient for 1.15 kilometres); and the second at Ronchi (4.5% for 3.13 kilometres).[1] The highest elevation measured 480 metres (1,570 ft) at Via Montello.

Pre-race favourites included Paolo Bettini, who was trying for an unprecedented third consecutive title, and the 1999, 2001 and 2004 champion Óscar Freire.[2]

The race was won by Alessandro Ballan, with his fellow Italian Damiano Cunego in second and Matti Breschel of Denmark taking the bronze medal.[3]

Final classification

Did not finish

128 riders failed to finish the race. Levi Leipheimer of the United States did not start the race.

Nation qualification

14 to be enrolled, 9 to start
 Spain
 Italy
 Belgium
 Germany
 Luxembourg
 Australia
 France
  Switzerland
 Russia
 Netherlands
9 to be enrolled, 6 to start
 South Africa
 United States
 Venezuela
 Iran
 Slovenia
 Poland
 Ukraine
 Great Britain
 Portugal
 Denmark
5 to be enrolled, 3 to start
 Tunisia
 Argentina
 Colombia
 Canada
 Japan
 Uzbekistan
 Austria
 Sweden
 Croatia
 Ireland
 Hungary
 Bulgaria
 Slovakia
 Latvia
 Serbia
 Estonia
 New Zealand
 Czech Republic
 Finland
 Norway
 Kazakhstan
2 to be enrolled, 1 to start
 Morocco
 Cuba
 Costa Rica
 Ecuador
 Mexico
 Uruguay
 Belarus
 Sri Lanka
 Lithuania

References

  1. ^ "Courses - Road Races". Varese2008.org. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
  2. ^ "Cooke leads GB Worlds challenge". BBC Sport. 22 September 2008. Archived from the original on 25 September 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
  3. ^ "Road Cycling Worlds 2008". BBC Sport. 28 September 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2009.

External links